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Beer brewing in Leeds

2014 New Years Brewday: Flanders Oud Bruin

Its been a couple of months since the last post on the blog. Academic work has been taking up most if not all of the spare time at the moment so posting has taken a bit of a back seat. I could not end the year without posting about my New Years 2014 brew.

As some readers may be aware for the past few years myself and Mrs LB have brewed a keeping beer on New Years Day (or Eve work depending) for drinking the following New Years Eve. So far they have been either Imperial Stouts , with last years exception of a Baltic Porter .

This years beer is a Flanders Oud Bruin. I have fallen head over heals for sour beers and it is about time I have areal go at one!

Flanders Oud Bruin

Description:
Oud Bruins, not restricted to, but concentrated in Flanders, are light to medium-bodied, deep copper to brown in colour. They are extremely varied, characterized by a slight vinegar or lactic sourness and spiciness to smooth and sweet. A fruity-estery character is apparent with no hop flavor or aroma. Low to medium bitterness. Very small quantities of diacetyl are acceptable. Roasted malt character in aroma and flavor is acceptable, at low levels. Oak-like or woody characters may be pleasantly integrated into overall palate. Typically old and new Brown ales are blended, like Lambics.

I’ve been reading Jeff Sparrow’s Excellent book ‘Wild Brews‘, listening to The Brewing Network programs on wilb beers and especial the Jamil Show episode on Oud Bruin. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned Michael Tonsmeire’s excellent blog The Mad Fermentationist before, but that blog has been a great resource for my understanding of home brewing sour beers.

I’m going with the WLP029 as I have just fermented a Faux Bo Pils with it so have a load of slurry rearing to go! After the primary neutral ale yeast fermentation I plan on racking to a bester bottle (another great tip from TMF) and ageing with the 3763. I plan on then splitting the batch and adding fruit, the details of which I haven’t decided yet. I may fruit on half, or fruit both with say cherries in one and raspberries in the other!?!?

A few brew day photos

The Dingemans Pilsen malt has been consistently producing some very clear wort straight from the mash tun, I’m quite impressed with it. It lends beers a fantastic grainy, pilsner sweet malt flavour and aroma. I’m not sure how much will come through in this beer though.

A couple of shots of the pre boil sample!

PBG was 1.050 rather than the predicted 1.045 so that makes the mash efficiency 85% rather than the estimated 80%

All in all a pretty simple brew day. I managed 25L @ 1.059. I pitched 200ml of very thick WLP029 slurry and tucked it up in the brew fridge at 19oC. A great way to end 2013 and kick off 2014’s brewing! I’ll keep this one updated as the year goes by!

Happy New Year!

UPDATE

I took a sample form the FV today. It has just about reached FG

On my hydrometer I reckon thats about 1.014. That was the predicted FG from BeerAlchemy, with an attenuation of 75%. I adjusted the recipe as the Faux Pils that the WLP029 fermented previously managed an attenuation of 80%. This discrepancy may be due to the high mash temp of the Oub Bruin. Although It may just creep the last few gravity points in the next few days!

Colour wise I am totally happy with it. I can’t wait to see this beer with the blushed hues of the fruit!Only another 12 months to go then! 😉

Update 05/02/2014

This beer has now been transferred into a better bottle style plastic carboy and had the drug of the following beers added to it:

Roeselare blend has now been added to the Oud Bruin. The dregs of the smack pack have also been added to a gallon of blended beer (50% Oud Bruin, 50% Solaris Pale Ale). A pelicle has already started to film on the gallon blend.

Hi, I’m very late commenting, but I think that the Berliner Weisse dregs are probably pretty dead. There is not Brett in there, but maybe some other lacto-producers may have survived…. in any case its all food for the othe bugs!